Today is the first day of the Golden Week Holiday. There are 4 public holidays, which gives people a chance to travel or just relax at home. In Japan the school year starts in April, I know a lot of my students, especially in junior high or high school, look forward to this holiday, it gives them a breather and a chance to understand the changes in their schedules, especially those starting a new school.
The name Showa Day is a recent name for this holiday. When the emperor was alive it was his birthday, then it was changed to Greenery Day, to reflect the emperor's love of nature. Greenery Day was moved to May 4th.
Showa Day is named after the period of Emperor Hirohito, he was emperor from 1926 to his death in 1989. This period brought about a lot of changes in Japan. Of course, Japanese expansionism continued, and then World War Two. The defeat of Japan after the atomic bombs and the first time for people to hear the emperor when he made the speech announcing Japan's surrender.
For a lot of people, however, the term Showa period brings up a feeling of nostalgia for the recovery period after WW2.
There are many Showa museums that seem to focus on the period from the 1960s to the end of the 1980s. These museums showcase how the average family would have lived, the father going off to work, the mother staying at home and the kids studying hard in school. Some kind of ideal life. What they don't show is the father working all hours, and the mother left to do all the housework and childrearing.
The 1964 Olympics showcased the new Japan, a country that was running headlong into the future. A country that was desperately trying to put behind the past and focus solely on making the best country ever. I remember watching a video in secondary school about Japan and how Japan was modernizing at a rapid rate. I was awe-struck by the scenes of Tokyo, this massive modern city but also saddened that Japan was losing its traditions. I'm happy that there seems to be a more balanced approach to life now, bringing in the modern, and the future but at the same time honoring the past and the traditions. Also, since the pandemic, there has been a wave of young people moving back to the countryside.
For me, the idea of Showa Day is a chance to reflect on how Japan managed to become one of the richest countries in the world after its defeat in WW2 and where the country is going. There are a lot of problems in Japan, the biggest ones at the moment are the economy and the falling birth rate. I have no idea how to fix either!!!
A few years ago David, Hannah and I went to a Showa Museum. I have a few photos from that trip.
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| typical classroom |
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| the metal trays are from the school lunch |
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| no idea what this is but it is freaky! |
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| Movie posters |
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| TV |
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| love the old phone |
I think Hannah took these photos, she was interested in the classroom, more than the other displays!
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